While targeting Nitish Kumar in Patna seems politically logical given that the state is soon going to elections, the question is—why Adityanath? Using the UP case, Kharge hopes to undermine the BJP’s credibility in Bihar — a state where caste equations are more central to politics than in most other Indian states.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a sharp political attack on two prominent BJP-aligned Chief Ministers — Bihar’s Nitish Kumar and Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath — at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Patna.
Kharge described Nitish Kumar as a “liability,” claiming he had been “mentally retired by the BJP.” He also criticised the Nitish-led NDA government in Bihar as being “on hiatus for a long time,” predicting that the upcoming Assembly elections would mark a turning point — not just for the state but for the entire country. According to Kharge, this would begin the “countdown” to the end of the Modi government’s corrupt rule.
He also did not spare Uttar Pradesh. Calling Adityanath’s recent ban on caste-based political rallies “bizarre,” Kharge pointed out the contradiction in the BJP’s approach. “On one hand, we are discussing a caste census, and on the other, your CM is threatening jail for those protesting against injustice. How can both exist?” he asked, directly challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Yogi government’s decision came after a recent Allahabad High Court directive to curb caste glorification. On September 21, 2025, the UP government issued a notification prohibiting caste-based political rallies, as well as the mention of caste in police reports, signage, and vehicle branding — except in cases involving the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
While targeting Nitish Kumar in Patna seems politically logical given that the state is soon going to elections, the question is—why Adityanath?
Kharge’s remarks against Nitish are a calculated political strategy. By labelling him a “liability,” he seems to be pointing at his health issues while also suggesting that he is being sidelined by the BJP. Overall, Kharge is seeking to portray the JD(U)-BJP alliance as both unstable and weakened. Once seen as a key figure in national politics, Nitish has changed political allegiances several times and is now reportedly battling health issues — further fuelling the Congress narrative of his decline.
Kharge’s criticism of Yogi Adityanath is aimed at highlighting contradictions within the BJP, say analysts. While the party champions a caste census at the national level to appeal to backward communities, it is simultaneously cracking down on caste mobilisation in states like UP. Kharge hopes to undermine the BJP’s credibility in Bihar — a state where caste equations are central to politics more than in most other Indian states. The state’s political landscape is shaped by deep-rooted caste identities, historical movements for social justice, and the mobilisation of both backward and marginalised communities.
Targeting two of the NDA’s most prominent chief ministers — in two of India’s most electorally significant states — is part of a broader Congress strategy to reassert itself in the Hindi heartland, where the party has seen dwindling influence in recent years
